Jaydogrules

It's official....Hulk 1 has softened. Showcase 4 is the #2 SA book right now. I expect Hulk 1 will pick up again , however, once we start seeing trailers for Thor 3. -J. The jump H1 made the last year is unsustainable. I agree it's just a pause and will prices will pick up again. Showcase 4 is the #2 SA book. You only "worship" because you have all Top 3 SA books in ridiculous grades. -J.

It's official....Hulk 1 has softened. Showcase 4 is the #2 SA book right now. I expect Hulk 1 will pick up again , however, once we start seeing trailers for Thor 3. -J.

That makes two of us. -J.

That's a helluva trifecta. Especially that 181. By the way, did anyone else see that 9.6 on comiclink go for $7200? -J.

That sounds on the high side to me. I would say $175 for that pair tops. -J.

A VG copy of the JIM 633 closed at $100 today: http://www.ebay.com/itm/JOURNEY-INTO-MYSTERY-633-1-50-VENOM-VARIANT-STEPHANIE-HANS-2012-/291688836043?hash=item43ea026bcb:g:7PgAAOSwx-9Wx1dd -J.

Finally! Looking good! -J.

WRT WD 150, it depends on what you consider the Ottley, Latour and Moore variants that were announced late to be. Sure, they were print to order, but aren't they still variants? Yes they are still variants. But they are not incentive variants or retailer variants. ES is talking about retailer and incentive variants specifically in his speech and trying to cut way back on them or cut them out completely. I don't really like equal ratio regular price variants either but I guess they don't "pad" the numbers as much as retailer or incentive variants do or sort of encourage smaller shops to order more copies of an issue, that they might not be able to sell or won't sell, just to qualify for a 1 and 50 or 1 and 100 incentive variant. Retailers don't have to "pad" anything. If they don't want to qualify for the variants no one is forcing them to up their orders. What this is actually about is depriving higher volume retailers from having the option of ordering the variants as well, so that small time shops don't feel the pressure to up their orders to compete on a larger scale. So nobody should be able to order a variant because a small time retailer feels butt-hurt about not having enough of a customer base to justify ordering enough books to qualify ? That is just unnecessary and inappropriate. -J.

Agreed. That has been my point and that of couple of others I think. Kind of like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Just because Marvel and DC offers a variant does not mean that a retailer has to order enough copies to get one. If enough retailers stop doing so, because their customers stop buying them, eventually they will stop offering them (or at least not as many or as often). Obviously as of now, there is enough demand to support that part of the business. The attempts of a few to de-legitimize what so many collectors enjoy just smacks of a crass attempt to demonize something just because "they" don't like or understand it, and/or want to level the playing field so they don't have to increase their orders to get a variant that maybe the shop one town over or that seller on ebay might get. Oh, and I didn't think you took at shot at me. I was just following up on your post noting the irony of what the Chicken Littles have been "predicting" for what has to be seven years now. -J.

I've caught you making up quotes twice in this discussion. That's lying. So you turn it around into a slight against me, as a way to deflect. Making up quotes and arguing from a standpoint that no one is making is either delusional or disingenuous. Either way, it's kind of strange. Do you think no one sees it? How ridiculously melo- dramatic. I suppose you've never heard of "paraphrasing". -J. Do you? Paraphrasing would be taking something that was actually said and 'phrasing' it to make it more concise. I said nothing along the lines of "putting themselves out of business because of variants". I also said nothing even remotely along the lines of NOT selling anyone else's comics. I think what you meant to say is, "Chuck, I suppose you've never heard of disingenuous hyperbole to distract from me getting my hat handed to me in a forum discussion?" To which I would say, "Why yes I have. I've read plenty of your other posts." Let's just say that you have your opinions of the gist of what you say and how you come across in your posts and I have mine and leave it at that. -J. You can feel the gist of what I say is secretly killing Dolphins, it doesn't make it sane or rational and especially not correct. Your reasoning is peculiar. Okay Chuck, you've officially gone off the rails. I suppose this is your idea of handing my hat to me in a forum debate. I think you just keep hiding out in your little bubble, waiting for another "1990's crash" (there's those darn quotes that are paraphrasing your Chicken Little nonsense again) while everyone else goes right on enjoying this 2016 incarnation of the hobby without you and your unabashedly and relentlessly negative, biased and jaundiced opinions that you attempt (very poorly) to pass off as "facts". Nobody said the hobby is perfect. Few things are. But all things considered I would argue that comic books and the characters and stories within are bigger than ever, and the hobby is doing just fine. Good talk. -J. Why does that sound like something that people would have been saying in 1993? People have been saying it for as long as I can remember. I've wondered it 1000 times if I've thought about it once. The '90s saw a purge but there was an immense amount of excellent books and even many now valuable comics from that era. Everything has it's day I suppose. And "people" have also been predicting another "crash" for longer than the actual original crash lasted (thank you ebay!). Seems rather boring to me at this point and counter productive to a comic book enthusiast oriented site. -J.

I've caught you making up quotes twice in this discussion. That's lying. So you turn it around into a slight against me, as a way to deflect. Making up quotes and arguing from a standpoint that no one is making is either delusional or disingenuous. Either way, it's kind of strange. Do you think no one sees it? How ridiculously melo- dramatic. I suppose you've never heard of "paraphrasing". -J. Do you? Paraphrasing would be taking something that was actually said and 'phrasing' it to make it more concise. I said nothing along the lines of "putting themselves out of business because of variants". I also said nothing even remotely along the lines of NOT selling anyone else's comics. I think what you meant to say is, "Chuck, I suppose you've never heard of disingenuous hyperbole to distract from me getting my hat handed to me in a forum discussion?" To which I would say, "Why yes I have. I've read plenty of your other posts." Let's just say that you have your opinions of the gist of what you say and how you come across in your posts and I have mine and leave it at that. -J. You can feel the gist of what I say is secretly killing Dolphins, it doesn't make it sane or rational and especially not correct. Your reasoning is peculiar. Okay Chuck, you've officially gone off the rails. I suppose this is your idea of handing my hat to me in a forum debate. I think you just keep hiding out in your little bubble, waiting for another "1990's crash" (there's those darn quotes that are paraphrasing your Chicken Little nonsense again) while everyone else goes right on enjoying this 2016 incarnation of the hobby without you and your unabashedly and relentlessly negative, biased and jaundiced opinions that you attempt (very poorly) to pass off as "facts". Nobody said the hobby is perfect. Few things are. But all things considered I would argue that comic books and the characters and stories within are bigger than ever, and the hobby is doing just fine. Good talk. -J.

Comiclink had another $22k sale not too long ago. That was the last public sale that I know of and was not reported to GPA because comic link doesn't do that. -J.

Well said. This is the kind of balanced and well reasoned analysis that can advance a more productive conversation. -J.

I've caught you making up quotes twice in this discussion. That's lying. So you turn it around into a slight against me, as a way to deflect. Making up quotes and arguing from a standpoint that no one is making is either delusional or disingenuous. Either way, it's kind of strange. Do you think no one sees it? How ridiculously melo- dramatic. I suppose you've never heard of "paraphrasing". -J. Do you? Paraphrasing would be taking something that was actually said and 'phrasing' it to make it more concise. I said nothing along the lines of "putting themselves out of business because of variants". I also said nothing even remotely along the lines of NOT selling anyone else's comics. I think what you meant to say is, "Chuck, I suppose you've never heard of disingenuous hyperbole to distract from me getting my hat handed to me in a forum discussion?" To which I would say, "Why yes I have. I've read plenty of your other posts." Let's just say that you have your opinions of the gist of what you say and how you come across in your posts and I have mine and leave it at that. -J.

I've caught you making up quotes twice in this discussion. That's lying. So you turn it around into a slight against me, as a way to deflect. Making up quotes and arguing from a standpoint that no one is making is either delusional or disingenuous. Either way, it's kind of strange. Do you think no one sees it? How ridiculously melo- dramatic. I suppose you've never heard of "paraphrasing". -J.

Chuck, your sour grapes and bitterness are very apparent. At least I know to take your jaded opinions with a grain of salt the next time I read any of your comments pertaining to a rare variant, its print run, etc. I think the market has passed you by and you seem unable (or unwilling) to adapt. Perhaps it's time to start considering hanging it up and retiring. -J.

Chuck you're beginning to sound like a broken record. When a piblishers's overall market share is infinitesimal I'll take 10% of a $388 Million Market any day. If you think that is 'infinitesimal', you're clueless. It's why the people at Boom! Studios work that hard to try and make their 'infinitesimal' $8.84 Million market share into something bigger. You really don't understand 'market share' do you? It includes all products sold by the publishers each month, and that means Graphic Novels, Trade Paperbacks and Hardcovers, of which Image DOMINATES. As the Book Publisher of the Year for Diamond Distribution the last two years they have shown a commitment to expanding their hold on that market over the 'Big Two'. For 2015, the YEAR, Marvel had 2 books in the top 12, and 5 in top 25. Image had 8 in top 12 and 14 of the top 25. Book sales are more profitable. You're not a math guy are ya slugger? Let's see: 2014 $355 Million, 9.23% = $32.76 Million 2015 $388 Million, 9.93% = $38.52 Million $5.76 Million Increase.... A $5.76 MILLION DOLLAR increase 'means nothing'? And considering that's up from their 3.32% of $269 Million Dollar Market 4 years ago (meaning they brought in $30 MILLION MORE this year than 4 years ago), it's safe to say that those market share points DO mean something. Duh. That's not the discussion, never was the discussion, and wasn't ever going to BE in the discussion until YOU have decided to put it here. This is your disingenuous style of posting all because you're butthurt that maybe your precious variant market will collapse if enough readers, or people with just plain common sense figure out that, the isn't going to be worth anything. It's an imaginary market. And maybe people are tired of being taken advantage of by it. They're tired of looking like a fool for buying some $25 variant, only to see it in a dollar box later. They're tired of chasing silly variants that they can't sell later on because no one has any interest. They're tired of being lied to. And hopefully, they love comics enough that rather than LEAVE comics, as many did in the 90's, they learn to find books they enjoy READING and invest themselves in the quality of the art form that IS still out there. It is a another renaissance in comics right now, and I would prefer not see greed tear it all down again. I'll continue to sell Marvel Comics and support Marvel Comics and promote their books, regardless if I think they're well written, or well drawn or properly edited or headed in the 'right' direction (whatever that means), as what someone likes and wants to read is comes down to taste. Marvel has plenty of quality books to read. I'm happy to promote them. If I sell enough of a specific book to get a variant, I'll maybe get it. Occasionally I just pass on some of them as I don't need an extra book that I don't need. What I won't do, is buy extra books I don't need and play into some variant market. As pointed out, Saga out sold Iron Man for the month of January (It's about even with Iron Man in my store), and independents make up about 40% of my sales. Happy to have a diverse selection books. Happy to sell Marvel Comics too. And DC and Boom! and Valiant and Dynamite, etc. Not a whole lot of incentive variants. Problem isn't solved. Chuck your arrogance is only exceeded by your stunningly poor read on what collectors actually "want" to buy, and where the market is obviously headed. My arrogance isn't exceeded by anything. And the price of the average variant keeps going down, so, not sure how you think the 'market' is headed that way. And personally, I have no issue with 'variants', just incentive variants. But don't let that get in the way of your misinformed rant. It's kinda funny. Uh... no. Very weird comparison. A gimmick is a gimmick. And incentive variants are a gimmick to get retailers to buy copies of books they don't need. Sure. I see that. Got no problem with that. Spending $1500 for one? Insane. But I still have no problem with that. Collect whatever you want. Pogs were big once. Not the same thing. Jim Steranko and Dave Stevens are two of the most popular artists of my lifetime. They've never been known for being a 'monthly' artist. In fact, their output would be considered 'minimal' As I believe in the 'art form' more than I do the 'sales techniques', I think their place in history speaks for itself as to what has a lasting impact. Turok #1 sold a lot of copies, and came out monthly on time! 'Nuff said. It's a double digit market share now, champ. I don't have to convince anyone of anything. All I have to do is wait it out as I did in the 90's and most of you will get frustrated and leave when you realize you've been duped and you have a bunch of worthless paper. People who loved the stories will always have that to fall back on. But feel free to collect as you wish, I could really care less as, once again, that wasn't my point. I actually agree with you on returnability. Even if that would obviously undermine the incentive variant program. That is a battle worth fighting. But I remain genuinely baffled at some of your statements. It's as if you are operating inside of a bubble that does not extend beyond the front door of your own store. I've said before that some of the covers I have seen I liken to limited edition lithographic prints. Fine ART, produced in limited quantities , for the discriminating collector with slightly deeper pockets who doesn't mind paying for that ART. I think this comparison is much more appropriate than yours. Pogs? Really? Come on man. Because that's what comic books ultimately are, right ? I have seen some covers by some EXTREMELY gifted artists that simply blow my mind. Obviously having 50 variants for Spider -Gwen 1 is ludicrous. Fortunately that is the exception and not the rule, and usually only happens with a heavily anticipated and promoted "#1". But that's business. The publishers are doing what they need to do, and what obviously works, to keep putting out this material. Now both of them are subsidiaries of much larger conglomerates so advancing the notion that they are "putting themselves out of business because of variants" is a little like Chicken Little running around in the rain telling everyone that the sky is falling. -J.

Chuck you're beginning to sound like a broken record. When a piblishers's overall market share is infinitesimal I'll take 10% of a $388 Million Market any day. If you think that is 'infinitesimal', you're clueless. It's why the people at Boom! Studios work that hard to try and make their 'infinitesimal' $8.84 Million market share into something bigger. You really don't understand 'market share' do you? It includes all products sold by the publishers each month, and that means Graphic Novels, Trade Paperbacks and Hardcovers, of which Image DOMINATES. As the Book Publisher of the Year for Diamond Distribution the last two years they have shown a commitment to expanding their hold on that market over the 'Big Two'. For 2015, the YEAR, Marvel had 2 books in the top 12, and 5 in top 25. Image had 8 in top 12 and 14 of the top 25. Book sales are more profitable. You're not a math guy are ya slugger? Let's see: 2014 $355 Million, 9.23% = $32.76 Million 2015 $388 Million, 9.93% = $38.52 Million $5.76 Million Increase.... A $5.76 MILLION DOLLAR increase 'means nothing'? And considering that's up from their 3.32% of $269 Million Dollar Market 4 years ago (meaning they brought in $30 MILLION MORE this year than 4 years ago), it's safe to say that those market share points DO mean something. Duh. That's not the discussion, never was the discussion, and wasn't ever going to BE in the discussion until YOU have decided to put it here. This is your disingenuous style of posting all because you're butthurt that maybe your precious variant market will collapse if enough readers, or people with just plain common sense figure out that, the isn't going to be worth anything. It's an imaginary market. And maybe people are tired of being taken advantage of by it. They're tired of looking like a fool for buying some $25 variant, only to see it in a dollar box later. They're tired of chasing silly variants that they can't sell later on because no one has any interest. They're tired of being lied to. And hopefully, they love comics enough that rather than LEAVE comics, as many did in the 90's, they learn to find books they enjoy READING and invest themselves in the quality of the art form that IS still out there. It is a another renaissance in comics right now, and I would prefer not see greed tear it all down again. I'll continue to sell Marvel Comics and support Marvel Comics and promote their books, regardless if I think they're well written, or well drawn or properly edited or headed in the 'right' direction (whatever that means), as what someone likes and wants to read is comes down to taste. Marvel has plenty of quality books to read. I'm happy to promote them. If I sell enough of a specific book to get a variant, I'll maybe get it. Occasionally I just pass on some of them as I don't need an extra book that I don't need. What I won't do, is buy extra books I don't need and play into some variant market. As pointed out, Saga out sold Iron Man for the month of January (It's about even with Iron Man in my store), and independents make up about 40% of my sales. Happy to have a diverse selection books. Happy to sell Marvel Comics too. And DC and Boom! and Valiant and Dynamite, etc. Not a whole lot of incentive variants. Problem isn't solved. Chuck your arrogance is only exceeded by your stunningly poor read on what collectors actually "want" to buy, and where the market is obviously headed. Your constant histrionics about variants reminds me of what the executives at the corporate headquarters at Blockbuster surely must have been spouting right around the time Netflix started to become a thing. Change is good man. You don't have to go along for the ride, but that doesn't mean the train won't leave the station without you. Which is all very surprising given your stated history in this business and your obvious intelligence. When Marvel or DC start putting out millions of copies of the same book with minor or no difference in the ART, and/or just stick them in a poly bag or stick a hologram on the front cover or make the cover glow in the dark, on a weekly basis, then you "might" have a plausible basis for comparing now to "the nineties". But many, many collectors like variants , like the superior ART on them, which is often by a hot or very talented artist. Many collectors like hunting down these awesome pieces of ART, and/or like the way they look in a slab. Like it or not, slugger, CGC changed the hobby and in the age of the slab beautifully drawn or painted covers can be King. And FYI, it's no real surprise Image outsells the big two in TPB, given their generally pisspoor and erratic publishing schedules that is the only way many collectors can stand reading their stories. But again, this is a board of generally COMIC (and slab) collectors , so good luck trying to convince many people here that they should give two hot damns about Image's fabulous strides in the TPB market, when they usually don't have more than ONE actual COMIC BOOK title cracking the top 50. Maybe if they did, they would have more than a single digit market share and would actually be able to sell enough copies of a book to a retailer such as yourself to even warrant offering an incentive variant in the first place. -J.

Chuck you're beginning to sound like a broken record. When a piblishers's overall market share is infinitesimal and it (barely) has exactly 3 titles in the top 50 month to month It doesn't take much of anything to show what superficially looks like a significant percentage movement one way or the other in sales. In other words , it means nothing. You obviously like the "Image Way" so it sounds like the best thing for you to do is to load up on all of their titles and let all the other retailers satisfy the demands of customers by ordering all of the many Star Wars comics and variants that people actually want and buy. Meanwhile the "Image Way" can hopefully keep your doors open with just the Walking Dead and one issue of Saga and/or Paper Girls every three months. Problem solved. -J.

So let me get this straight, this guy basically thinks the entire market should go the "Image" route, and that this would somehow be "better" for sales and the long term viability of the market? Putting out one new niche title after another, month after month, just to see what sticks? Most with bottom feeding sales numbers? With unreliable creators who can't produce on any reliable schedule? Forcing readers to wait sometimes months for one issue? Still put out variants, but only the kind of variants that "Image" likes and approves of? Yes, let's hope that Marvel and DC can be more like that. -J.

There's a slightly cheaper 9.8 on ebay now... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Batman-608-cgc-9-8-Retaiiler-Incentive-Edition-/141905559828?hash=item210a3b0114:g:vUQAAOSwe7BWw1ES -J.

That journey into mystery 633 one is pretty disturbing now that I take a closer look at it. What's he doing, walking in a swamp carrying some dismembered body parts ? http://www.ebay.com/itm/JOURNEY-INTO-MYSTERY-633-1-50-VENOM-VARIANT-MARVEL-COMIC-BOOK-FREE-THOR-HC-1-/291685218651?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140131123831%26meid%3Db9cee81671734013a33f3dff575ea224%26pid%3D100170%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D291685218651&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=xbID1M6Roi55pQZ3XgzvrSjCRBk%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc *Edit- With the main book having a print run of only 23,800, this looks to easily be the rarest one by far. -J.

Why doesn't the "first appearance" of "Old Man Steve Rogers" get any love ? -J.

"Retailer Roundtable Program" -J.

Fantastic copy! Looks great for the grade. Big time congrats. -J.